I followed Satoru down to breakfast, wearing a simple white dress, my long raven hair was braided and lay over my shoulder like a rope.

I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that no one was at the table.

"Fugaku-sama says that he wouldn't be eating this morning." Satoru informed me, "Your brothers will be down shortly, but I suggest that not to wait for them. You must eat to regain your strength."

I nodded quietly, picking up some toast and accepting the offer of orange juice, ignoring the other delicacies spread out on the table.

I felt sick to my stomach, I didn't feel like eating, but I forced myself to nibble on the toast, knowing Satoru would get worried if I didn't eat something, and that it would be unhealthy not to eat anything, after all I skipped dinner last night.

The door opened and in walked a tall, handsome man in his early twenties.

His medium-length hair was tied into a low ponytail, his dark orbs swept around the room before finally settling on me. His eyes widened in slight surprise, before a warm smile settled on his features.

"Imoutou-san,"

I stood up from my chair and bowed to the older male.

"O-Onii-sama," I played with the fabric of my dress, before looking up shyly. "O-Ohayougonzaimasu."

Itachi Uchiha smiled, "Ohayou… Miwa."

He adjusted his suit as he sat opposite to me, his eyes never leaving my face. I squirmed uncomfortably under his stare, and took a cautious bit out of my toast.

He blinked as he glanced at my plate. "Is that all you're going to eat?"

I nodded, casting my eyes down to my plate.

Itachi tittered at me, "You must eat more, it's not healthy, Imoutou."

My eyes widened slightly, as he began to pile fruits, eggs, bacon and various other foods onto my plate.

"I-I can't eat all this!" I exclaimed, "It's way too much!"

"You must eat," Itachi ordered sternly, "No sister of mine will be anorexic."

I looked up at him, horrified that he would even think that I was…!

"'Anorexic'?!"

"You didn't come to eat dinner last night."

"I had jet-lag!"

"You barely have anything to eat."

"I'm not hungry!"

"You shouldn't lie to your 'onii-sama', Imoutou."

"I am not lying!"

I saw his smirk too late, realizing that he had just been teasing me.

I smiled shyly, allowing my bangs to cover my face as I turned to my now full plate once more.

Itachi chuckled softly as the doors swung open once more, and in strode in another handsome male.

Unlike Itachi, this male's hair was short and stuck up messily in the back, bangs framing his pale face. He wore a black button down shirt with black pants and he had a roguish, dangerous yet handsome look to him, unlike Itachi's clean, professional look.

"Otouoto," Itachi stood up, smiling softly, "You remember Miwa, right? Miwa, this is your older brother, Sasuke."

I scrambled to my feet and hastily bowed to him, "Ohayou, Nii-san."

Unlike Itachi's warm welcome, Sasuke look down on me.

"Is that really what you're wearing?" He sneered at me.

I straightened up and blinked at the sixteen year old.

"Sasuke's right," Itachi turned to me, "White isn't exactly what one would wear to a funeral."

My heart ached as I looked down at my feet, my neck and cheeks growing hot.

"Miwa-hime won't be attending the funeral today." Satoru came to my rescue. "She will be staying here today."

Bam!

Pale hands slammed themselves onto the table.

"Sasuke!" Itachi glared at the younger male.

"What? Think you're too good to go to our own mother's funeral?!" Sasuke snarled at me. "Fucking bitch, do you think you're special?!"

I took a step back, moving my chair out of the way, surprised and frightened by the sudden change of scene.

"You come here out of nowhere when you heard of Kaa-san's death and yet, you won't even go to her funeral?!" Sasuke glowered at me, "Newsflash, bitch, no one ever wanted you. No one loved you. That's why you were sent away!"

"Sasuke that is enough!" Itachi grabbed Sasuke by the arm, Satoru coming to my side. "Apologise to-"

"Don't you think I know?"

All three males paused in their actions, turning their gazes to me.

'Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Concealdon'tfeelconcealdon'tfeelconcealdon'tfeel.'

I kept my face blank as if I was dead.

"'Newsflash' is meant to announce information that wasn't known to the other person, when the information is new." I stated, my voice as dead as my face seemed to be. "However, it is invalid when said information was made clear before. Whether it be hours, days… Even years prior."

"Miwa…"

"I apologise for upsetting you, Nii-san," I inhaled deeply, "It was nice to see you again, Onii-sama." I turned to the old butler, a small but real smile on my face. "The breakfast was lovely, Satoru-san. Thank you."

I bowed to the males. "If you will excuse me, I must take my leave."

With an aching heart, I left the dining room with three shocked males and a couple of sympathetic maids.

'I know…'

~XXX~

Fugaku strode into my room, his obsidian orbs sweeping across the room to find me sitting on the window-seat, a book in my hands. Only about twenty minutes after the breakfast episode.

I looked up in confusion, what was he doing here?

"Change into something more appropriate." He stated. "You're coming."

My eyes widened as Fugaku left, the book falling from my hands.

'Coming?'

I scrambled to my feet and ran to my closet, searching frantically.

What made him change his mind?

Why now?

I frowned to myself as my hands finally rested on a black dress.

'You know what? Screw it, if he changes his mind, it's up to him. There is no way in hell that I'm going to do anything that might change it back. I'm not letting this go.'

I walked out of my room wearing the simple sleeveless black dress that I had just found, the hem ending at my knees, with a dark blue cardigan over it.

I took out my braid, and let it cascade down my back, slightly wavy, slightly knotty from its time in a braid.

It swayed as I walked down the stairs.

Itachi stood at the bottom of said stairs, and smiled as I reached him.

"I apologise for Chichi-ue's behaviour." Itachi whispered as we walked to the door. "He's been… stressed ever since Haha-ue's… passing."

I flinched slightly as Itachi took my arm and led me to a shiny, black SUV.

I paused to admire the car, my eyes alight as I saw the sleek elegance of the vehicle.

"You can come with me. I don't want Chichi-ue to get the chance to get mad at you." Itachi opened the passenger side door of the car.

I fidgeted with the fabric of my dress. "I-I'll sit in the back, if you don't mind… Onii-sama."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at that but closed the door and opened the one behind it.

I slipped into the back seat, my head bowed.

Itachi got into the drivers' seat and turned on the car.

I inhaled in appreciation… listen to that baby purr!

"Chichi-ue 'orders' for you to stay in the back." Itachi backed out of the driveway. "If anyone asks you who you are, you are to say, you are Haha-ue's niece. Your mother couldn't attend the funeral because she was ill and your father was away on business. Your Mother's name is Ryoko Kira and your father's name is Haruka Kira. Do you understand?"

I nodded, "Yes, I understand."

Itachi's eyes softened in the rear-view mirror. "I'm sorry, Imoutou. But that was the only way we could get you to attend."

I bowed my head and nodded. "I understand."

We rode in silence to the funeral home.

~XXX~

That night, I lay on the window seat, my eyes red and puffy from tears.

People had gone up to my brothers and father, offering their condolences. As if offering a shoulder to cry onor trying to help them with their loss. I stood in the back, making sure that my face remained neutral.

But a woman had come up to me, her hair long and a deep red colour, her sea-foam eyes a gentleness and compassion that I only saw from Satoru nowadays.

"My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina." She smiled sadly, "Mikoto told me all about you… Miwa-chan."

Suppressed tears, finally ran down my face.

"She loved you, Miwa-chan." Kushina pushed a loose strand behind my ear, "She truly loved you, her little Miwa-hime."

Sobs escaped from my throat.

"You look so much like her," Kushina pulled me into a warm embrace. "If you ever need help… my door is always open."

I broke down in her embrace, feeling more secure and safer in this stranger's arms than in my father's house.

Now, I lay on the window-seat, ignoring the luxurious bed. Holding Via, the Eevee plush toy, to my chest tightly.

I didn't belong here.

I was raised in a tight-knit community, my friends were like family and my family didn't care what I was, only for who I was. They accepted all my flaws with ease, and helped me to overcome them. Never, have I ever felt so out of place or out casted by these "commoners" than I do right now, here, in my birth family's house. Not even when Mikoto visited.

I was raised to value family, friends and God above all other things in life. More than reputations, more than money, more than any material thing that this earth could possibly offer. I was raised to see the good in people, rather than the bad. I was raised to respect.

But here… I was an enigma. I acted strangely. I wasn't a becoming daughter of the Uchiha Clan. No one has ever said it yet, but I could see it in their eyes.

Every time I tried to help out with the maids, every time I cleared my own dishes, every time a servant walked in to see me cleaning my own room, every time I talked to the workers like they were my equals…

I wasn't a normal Uchiha.

Sometimes… I wonder if I even want to be one.

~XXX~

"You leave the day after tomorrow."

I looked up from my plate in surprise.

We sat at the table, just finished breakfast. Fugaku sat at the head of the table, Sasuke towards the middle and I sat opposite the moody brunet.

Fugaku calmly sipped his tea before continuing. "You will finish go back to your host family. You will finished this year of your schooling. Then you will come back when you turn 16."

I blinked. 'Wait, what?'

"You will come back, and we will formally announce your existence to the public." Fugaku eyed me carefully, "Understood?"
"Yes, sir." I mumbled quietly.

I looked back at my breakfast, and suddenly, the plate of eggs, toast and bacon looked disgusting.

"May I be excused?" I asked softly.

"You may."

Standing up, I made my way out of the room, feeling myself beginning to suffocate.

'I don't belong here…' I thought to myself as I ran up the stairs. 'I want to go home.'

~XXX~

"Miwa-hime-sama? Someone is here to see you."

I looked up at the young maid in confusion.

"For me?" I stood up slowly. "Are you sure."

The maid gave a tight-lipped smile. "Yes, Hime-sama."

Curious, I left my room to hear two people yelling.

"You can't lock her up in here, Fugaku! She deserves to see where her mother grew up!"

I slowed down.

"Who do you think you are? Barging into my home like this!" Fugaku's voice floated up the stairs, his usually cool, calm voice sounding heated and exasperated. "I only tolerated you because you were my wife's friend!"

"I still am!" I identified the woman as Kushina, from the funeral last night. "And as Mikoto's best friend, I'm taking Miwa out, whether or not you like it!"

"She is my daughter! You can't-"

"Exactly! She is your daughter, not your prisoner!"

"You can't tell me what to do-"

"If Mikoto was here-"

"Mikoto is dead!" Fugaku thundered, "There is no changing that!"

I froze, hand still poised to open the door handle.

"Every time I see that… girl, I am only torturing myself. I only see my dead wife through that girl's eyes."

My eyes widened.

"I can barely stand to look at her, she does nothing but bring me pain!"

My heart clenched painfully.

"I should have never brought her here."

I took a step back.

"I should have never told her who we were."

I turned away.

"It would've been better off if she was never born."

I ran away.